I am always on the lookout for historical markers like the one on the side of this building in the town of Dryden. Maybe someday I will have visited all of them but for now, here is what this one reads:
The Ladies Library Association was established in 1871 to provide reading material at a small cost to the community. In the beginning the association only allowed married women to be members and charged an annual fee of one dollar. The women of the association were also involved in charitable works, such as giving aid to Northern Michigan victims of fire in 1881. The association built this Italianate structure in 1885 for $1,500. The first floor contained the library, dining room and kitchen. The second floor hall, which includes a stage, continues to be used for plays and community meetings. Dryden Township accepted the building in 1974 and made it the public library.
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